Electric vaporizer



June 30, 1925.

L. W. OSBORNE ELECTRIC VAPORIZER Fi led Au 22, 1921 2 Sheets-Stieet 2 ZJZZ 0 aborn {15mm Patented June 30, 1925.

UNITED STATES 1,544,476 PATENT OFFICE.

LEONARD w. OSBORNE, or BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR To THE OSBORNE ELECTED-GAS VAPOBIZER COMPANY, or BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, A CORPORA- TION or MARYLAND.

ELECTRIC VAPORIZER.

Application filed August 22, 1921. Serial No. 494,379.

To all whom it may camera:

Be it known that I, LEONARD W. OSBORNE, a citizen of the United States, residin' at Baltimore, in the county of Baltimore %ity and State of Maryland, have invented new and useful Improvements in Electric Vaporizers, of which the following is a specification. i I

This invention relates to Vaporizers for internal combustion engines. y

The chief characteristic of the present invention, resides in providing an electric vaporizer which is positioned between the carbureter and the intake manifold of the engine, and designed to thoroughly vaporize that portion of liquid fuel which usually finds its way through the carbureter into the cylinders of the engine, and finally to the exhaust manifold, thereby materially reducing the cost of maintenance as well as materially increasing the efficiency of the motor, and alsothe miles per gallon, and in addition permitting the use of a low grade fuel.

Another important object of the invention resides in equipping the vaporizer with an air valve which is actuated simultaneouslv with the throttle valve of the carbureter to admit into the vaporizer the requisite amountof air in proportion to the quantity of fuel entering the said vaporlzer.

' The nature and advantages of the invention willbe better understood when the following detailed description is read in connection with the accompanying drawings, the invention residing in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts as claimed.

In the drawings forming part of this a plication likev numerals of reference in icate similar parts in the several views, and wherein: I

Figure 1 is a view in elevation showing the position of the electric vaporizer with gegard to the carbureter and intake maniold.

Figure 2 is a view taken on line 22 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view through the vaporizer.

Figure 4 is a sectional View taken in line 44 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a heating unit. v

Figure 6 is a similar View of the other part thereof.

Referring to the drawings in detail, A indicates a carbureter of any well-known construction, B the intake manifold of an internal combustion engine, C the exhaust manifold, the latter being surrounded by a hotair chamber indicated at The vaporizer forming the subject matter of the present invention comprises a casing 10 having a removable bottom 11 to ermit access being had to the casing as t e occasion requires. The casing is open at both ends, one end receiving a portion of the carbureter A, while the opposite end is in open communication with the intake manifold B. Arranged within the casing 10 and interposed between the carbureter A and intake manifold B is a tubular member 12 which contains a series of spaced screenlike members 13 utilized to retard the flow of liquid fuel from the carbureter into the intake manifold B. These screens are equidistantly spaced, and are clamped between ring-like elements 14 of a substantially L- plan view of one part of the shape formation in cross section, as clearly illustrated in Figure 3. Leading from the hot air chamber 1) into the vaporizer is a pipe 15 for conveying heated air into the vaporizer as will be readily understood. The pipe 15 is preferably threaded into the casing 10 and the tubular member 12. This pipe is provided with a valve 16 which, of course, controls communication between the hot air chamber D and the vaporizer.

An electric heating unit is supported upon the removable bottom 11, and is interposed between the latter and the tubular member 12. This heating unit includes a wire 17 which is interposed between the metallic plates 18 and 19 respectively. The wire 17 is also arranged between two pieces of mica or other insulating material, indicated at 20, and the plates are associated in any suitable manner. The upper surface of the plate 18 is concaved to receive a portion of the tubular member 12, as clearly illustrated in Figure 4. The upper surface of the plate 19 is recessed to receive insulating blocks 21, binding posts 22, 23 and 24 depending from the insulating blocks through the bottom 11 of the vaporizer. hen the vaporizer is used in conjunction with 6 volt batteries, the binding posts 22 and J are employed, but when used in connection with 12 volt batteries, the binding posts 9 and 2-: are used. In other words, more resistance is thrown in when the vaporizer is used with a 19 volt. battery, so that the heating unit under all conditions uses approximately three amperes.

In practice, when the engine is in operation, there is always a certain amount of liquid fuel which finds its wav from the carlnireter into the cylinders of the engine, and linall, to the exhaustmanitold C, resulting in the loss of this fuel. By use of the present invention, this fuel. which necessarilv passes through the casing 10 from the carburcter into the intake manifold is vaporized and utilized as a combustibl mivture with a consequent reduction in cost of maintenance. This liquid fuel as it enters the casing 10 strikes against the depending flanges of the rings 14: and causes the liquid tuel to trickle over the screens 13. Obviously the construction is such that the liquid fuel is retarded in its passage through the chamber 10 until it is completely and theroughly vaporized, "his occurring prior to the admittance oi the fuel to the intake manit'old ll. By reason of this tact, the etlicicncy oi the motor is not only materially increased with regard to power, but it also makes it possible to use low grade tuel with an increase o't miles per gallon. IYith the increased vaporization ot the fuel within the casing 10, more air is required in the production of the highly combustible mixture, and for this purpose the valve 18 is associated with the throttle valve 25 of the carburetor and will be actuated simultaneously with the latter. The throttle valve control rod is indicated at and is connected with the rod 27 which in turn is connected, as at 28 with the throttle valve 95, one end of the rod 27 being tulcrumed on an xtension 29 leading from a split annulus 30 which issecured to the intake manit'old B. A connection 31 associates the valve 16 with the rod 27, so that when the control element 26 is actuated to impart movement to the rod 2", the valve 16 is actuated simultaneously with the throttle valve 25 so as to admit to the casing 10 a requisite amount of air in proportion to the amount of fuel flowing from the carbureter A. The combpstible mixture is sucked from the casing 10 into the intake manifold B in the usual manner.

lVhile it is believed that from the foregoing description the natur and advantages of the invention will be readily understood, I desire to have known that I do not limit myselt to what is herein shown and described, and that such changes may be resorted to when desired as fall within the scope of what is claimed.

Having described the claim 1. A vaporizer for internal combustion engines comprising a casing interposed etween the carburetor and intake manifold and communicating with said. parts, a tubular member arranged within the casing, a. series ot screen-like elements positioned within the tubular member, a. plurality of rings supporting said screen-lik v elements within said tubular member, each ring including an inwardly extending flange which together with said screen-like elements retard the flow of fuel through the vaporizer, and a. valve controlled air inlet pipe communicating with said tubular member, and heating means arranged within the casing beneath said tubular member.

2. A liquid -fuel vaporizer including a casing adapted to be interposed between the intake manifold and carburetor of an internal combustion engine. a tubular member arranged within the casing, metal plates arranged within the casing beneath the tubular member and an electric heating member interposed between the plates.

3. A liquid fuel vaporizer including a casing adapted to be interposed between the. intake manifold and carburetor of an internal combustion engine, a. tubular member arranged within the casing, metal plates arranged within the casing beneath the tubular member, an electric heating member interposed between the plates, a p1uralitv of binding posts connected with the heating element, one of which being located intermediate the ends of the heating element, the endmost binding post being adapted to be used when it is desired to utilize the entire resistance area of the heating unit, the intermediate binding posts and one of the end binding posts being used when only part of the resistance area of the heating unit is desired.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

invention, I

LEONARD IV. OSBORNE. 

